Queen of Thorns
by Darth Rapture
Summary: Reyna of Portugal is a pawn in the game of politics, valuable due her royal blood, and that of her very young sons. Arriving in France with the black-hearted Tomas, Reyna finds herself making both allies and enemies within the court. What she didn't count on was her walls to come crumbling down for a particular prince.
1. French Court

**Chapter One: French Court**

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**A/N: So, uh, hi :) I know that OC stories aren't very common in the Reign fandom...which is why I'm a little worried about how this one will be received. Pairings are Francis/OC and Mary/Bash. Reyna is a completely fictional character and she and her sons have no historical counterparts.**

**No Francis, Mary and Bash in this chapter, but I promise that if I do decide to continue, they'll be coming into it soon.**

**Reviews would be lovely. Not sure if I plan to continue this story yet, but the response from you lovely readers will likely help me decide if it's worthwhile :)**

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"I don't see what's so special about France." Reyna's tone was dismissive as she drew back the curtain to peer out of the carriage. The French countryside did not appear to differ drastically from that at home in Portugal. Her brother-in-law, Tomas, sighed heavily from where he was sitting across from her, toying with one of his rings.

"I wish you would not complain so." His tone was stern. "I don't see Elian minding the journey."

Reyna looked to her eldest son, who was looking outside with curious wide eyes, strawberry blonde curls billowing about in the slight breeze. At three years old, Elian was of course extremely excited about the prospect of travelling to another country. It was the first time he had left Portugal, and Reyna had to reluctantly admit that it was thanks to Tomas that they had been able to accompany him to France.

It had been almost a year since Reyna had lost her husband, Tomas's half-brother and the Crown Prince of Portugal. Reyna had been a girl of only thirteen when she had married Gerard, who had been twelve years her senior. Yet in the four years they'd had together, she had been _happy_, until his sudden illness and subsequent death. She had been pregnant with their youngest son at the time, Luis.

Reyna looked down at the sleeping bundle in her arms. Luis was six months old, and already strongly resembled his father. She smiled and stroked back his dark hair. It pained her to think that Gerard had never seen his youngest son, and that Luis would never know his father. Tomas had been good to Reyna – most of the time. But once his father, the King of Portugal, had fallen ill…well, things had changed.

"Elian, I can see the castle," Tomas declared, causing the little boy to look away from the countryside he had been staring at and scamper across to his uncle. Tomas hoisted the child onto his lap and pointed. Reyna swallowed, unable to help feeling nervous. It was almost the same feeling as when she had arrived in Portugal from Spain, all ready to be a bride at only thirteen.

"Come, Elian." Reyna summoned her oldest son as the carriage stopped. Of course, Tomas was the first to exit, breathing in the fresh air. Reyna followed with Luis cradled close and Elian clinging to her free hand. She glanced down at her eldest. Elian was not normally a shy child, a boy who loved to climb and play, and didn't mind if he grazed his hands and knees in the process. He reminded Reyna of her older brothers, who she had not seen since her wedding. How she missed them, and Spain.

"Lord Tomas. Princess Reyna." King Henry approached them with a cold-looking blonde woman who Reyna assumed to be his wife. He spread his arms and smiled. Reyna was not sure what she had been expecting, but it had not been this middle-aged, bald man still so full of vigour. "Welcome to France. We are pleased to entertain you as our guests."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Tomas stepped forward, ever the confident one. He gestured towards Elian and Luis. "My nephews, Crown Prince Elian and Prince Luis."

King Henry stepped forward and kneeled in front of Elian, who watched the French King with wide blue eyes. The boy blinked, before bowing low at the waist like the tiny gentleman he was.

"It's a pleasure, your Majesty."

Henry laughed. "Isn't he just wonderful? I shall have to introduce you later to my son, Crown Prince Francis and his fiancé, Queen Mary of Scotland." Henry's eyes drifted to Reyna. "She is only a little younger than you, Princess."

Reyna had to admit that she was pleased. She often found court to be boring and only ventured there if she was invited, back in Portugal. However, the prospect of making a friend of her own age was an enticing one. She could not help but smile and incline her head.

"Thank you."

"But of course, you must have had a long journey." Henry said exuberantly, but Reyna's eyes were fixed on his wife, Queen Catherine. She was regarding the pair of them with a disapproving expression and she could not help but feel slightly awkward under the Queen's intense gaze. "You must rest before you meet the rest of my court."

"Again, we thank you for your hospitality," Tomas stated, before he gestured for his men to start unloading the carriage. He glanced at his sister-in-law, and for some reason Reyna shivered under his inspection, as she had been doing ever since Gerard had died. "I'm sure that Elian and Luis are both exhausted."

* * *

Tomas, in truth, did not much mind France. Of course he preferred his homeland of Portugal, but his interest had been piqued upon hearing that Mary, Queen of Scots, was in fact at the court. She was a girl of fifteen, yet already she held so much power. It was enticing to him, perhaps even more enticing than Reyna.

Since his brother's death, Tomas had developed an intense interest in Reyna, perhaps almost akin to an obsession. He was more than ten years her senior, but she was a woman of seventeen and by far no maiden. That auburn hair, those bright green eyes…Tomas had been patient, helping Reyna where he could with her children, but his desire to bed her was stronger than ever. Here even more so than Portugal, where it was only the two of them and their party of men.

"Princess." Tomas entered Reyna's rooms, where she was standing over Luis's cot. By now, Elian was likely asleep in his own room as well. Tomas crossed over to see that the baby was sleeping as Reyna tenderly stroked his hair. She coddled him even more than she had Elian, for knowledge that he would never know his father.

"Tomas, you did not knock." Reyna frowned, her tone somewhat reproachful. She drew away from Luis's cot. Tomas felt a wave of frustration. The girl did not trust him, even now. Had he not been patient? Had he not proved himself trustworthy at every opportunity? He could have had both of her brats killed if he had so desired, in order to have a stronger claim to the throne. But there had been an alternate avenue, and Tomas had seized that opportunity.

"I was not aware that was necessary." Tomas's voice was full of laughter, but his eyes were not. "After all, we are close, are we not? I like to think that we are quite good friends."

"Perhaps," Reyna murmured. She was looking forward to meeting this Mary in the morning, to see what this Queen of Scots was truly made of. Francis also sounded intriguing to her.

"Just perhaps?" Tomas moved closer, and Reyna watched him, biting at her lip. He glanced down at the cot where Luis slept. "The journey seems to have tired the little one."

"It has tired me also," Reyna said, politely yet sharply. "I thank you for visiting to see how I am settling, Tomas, but it is not necessary."

Tomas sighed, realising that Reyna was still not familiar enough with the French court, that she had every right to her suspicions and mistrust of the people. He planted a kiss on her cheek, to which she turned her face, before turning and exiting her room.

There was no doubt in Tomas's mind that Reyna would succumb to him. It had been over a year since she had a man in her bed, and it was not like she had to worry about preserving her virginity. It was only a matter of time before she realised that she wanted him like he wanted her. He was sure of it.


	2. Behind These Castle Walls

**Chapter Two: Behind These Castle Walls**

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** A/N: Oooh, 7 reviews, 11 favourites and 30 follows, I feel so special. I'm really hoping that you like Reyna so far. In this chapter, she meets Sebastian and Francis, and things begin to get complicated with Tomas. Next chapter she will be meeting Mary! I plan to make them good friends. **

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Reyna would have been lying if she had said she was not nervous about meeting the Dauphin of France. She spent the entire morning in a flurry of preparation, ensuring that she had picked out her finest dress and had her hair intricately braided. She also made sure that Elian and Luis were both looking as spectacular as young children could. Only once she was satisfied did she present herself outside her chambers, awaiting the Dauphin's arrival.

Tomas joined her moments later, a somewhat forced smile about his lips. He inspected Reyna with a critical gaze. She frowned, disliking the intensity of his gaze. Instead she turned her attention on Elian, who was sucking at his thumb. She gently reached down to tug at his wrist.

"Elian, my sweet. Don't do that. We want to make a good impression on Dauphin Francis, do we not?"

"Yes, Mama," Elian said obediently, removing his thumb from his mouth.

Two men strolled down the corridor, their footsteps alerting Reyna and making her stand up even straighter. One of them was fair-haired and the other dark-haired. Her eyes darted between them, trying to guess which Francis was. The two stopped before her, and the dark-haired man bowed. That was the only distinction she needed – the fair-haired one, who she guessed would be no more than her own seventeen years, must be Francis.

"You must be Reyna." Francis stepped forward, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Reyna had the good grace to blush slightly. "I suppose these must be your children. What are their names?"

"Elian and Luis," Reyna gestured to her older son, and then the baby in Tomas's arms. She glanced at Tomas. "And this is…"

"Your husband?" Francis immediately jumped to the conclusion, hesitating when he saw the pained expression that crossed Reyna's face and realising with humiliation that he was wrong.

"This is Tomas, my brother-in-law." Reyna's tone had become slightly cool. "My husband is dead."

"My apologies, Princess." The dark-haired man quickly stepped in to cover Francis's blunder. He was perhaps a few years older than Francis, and he offered her a charming smile. "I'm Sebastian. Francis's half-brother, the King's bastard."

Reyna was amused at how open he was about his heritage. She could immediately tell that she would like Sebastian, but it was Francis she was unsure of. She considered saying that Tomas was also a bastard, before realising that it was up to Tomas to divulge that particular piece of information, not her. Francis glanced at Sebastian, who now lapsed into silence.

"I truly did not mean to offend you."

"It does not matter," Reyna attempted to wave it off. "Not everyone is aware of it. My husband has only been dead a few months."

Francis grimaced. "Surely that makes it all the worse."

"Francis, why don't you tell her about the picnic you've arranged?" Sebastian suggested, tactfully steering away from what was obviously an awkward topic of conversation.

"Oh, yes." Francis seemed to regain his dignity. "I thought it might be nice to have a picnic tomorrow afternoon. Queen Mary and her ladies are also to be in attendance. Tomas, I was hoping that you would accompany Sebastian and I on a ride about the palace grounds."

"I would be more than happy to." Tomas offered them a charming smile, but Reyna saw right through him. She could already tell he disliked Francis, and likely thought little better of Sebastian.

"Can we count at you livening up tonight's dinner?" Sebastian inquired.

"No, I don't think so." Reyna offered them an apologetic smile. "Little Luis is still a bit unsettled in this unfamiliar place, and I don't like leaving him with a nurse when he is upset. Perhaps tomorrow night, but I think for tonight I will have to care for him."

"I doubt I will be in attendance either," Tomas stated, flashing yet another smile. "I am still tired from the journey, and I want to get all the rest I can considering that I will be on horseback with you fine gentlemen tomorrow afternoon."

"Of course." Francis inclined his head, glancing between the two. "It was lovely meeting you both."

* * *

Despite her best intentions, Reyna found herself exploring the grounds with Elian in the early evening, leaving Luis with his nurse. He had settled down quickly, but Reyna did not think it was polite to attend the feast after she had said that she wasn't going. Reyna had always been curious, something Elian had inherited from her. She was really little more than a child herself, still indulging herself in fantasies of adventure.

"Are you enjoying France so far, Elian?" Reyna inquired of her eldest son, watching as he pulled up blades of grass in his small fists.

"I am, Mama," Elian replied, glancing around them with wide eyes. "Very pretty."

Reyna stroked his hair, reminiscing on when he had been just a baby. She truly had been a child then, only fourteen years old and already a mother. Gerard had been a natural father who absolutely adored his son, and although Reyna had been so very tired at first, she had quickly learned how to become a mother. As Elian grew, so did she, in her own way. She was mature for her age and despite the difference in age between herself and Gerard, she had loved him dearly and he had always treated her with kindness.

Then he had died, during her pregnancy with Luis. They had both been so excited about the prospect of another child, a sibling for young Elian. But after his death, Reyna found herself almost resenting her pregnancy. If it had been months earlier, if she had just found out, she likely would have tried to terminate it. Yet the pregnancy had progressed smoothly, and once Reyna had given birth to Luis…he was such a miniature version of his father that she could not help but love him too, with all her heart.

Reyna shook herself from her thoughts. It would do her no good to think on the past. She would only keep on hurting if she continued to think about Gerard and the life they'd had together. He had wanted her to move on, remarry if she found someone she could love. Reyna doubted that would ever happen. She pushed herself to her feet, turning to Elian.

"Come, darling. It's time to go inside."

She spun around to find that she was not the only one wandering the grounds – a dark-haired girl, perhaps slightly younger than Reyna, was also patrolling the grass. Reyna offered her a small smile as she and Elian passed by, nodding politely. She was dressed nicely. Perhaps she was a woman of the court, or even one of Mary's ladies. She looked about the right age.

"Do I get to come to the picnic?" Elian inquired of his mother as they entered the dimly-lit corridors of the French palace. He clutched at her hand. "Can I?"

"No, Elian." Reyna offered her son an apologetic smile. "It's for grown-ups. But I'm sure that the Dauphin will give you lots of toys to play with while we're all out. Doesn't that sound nice?"

* * *

Reyna couldn't help but stand vigil over Luis's cot. She was always worried that he would wake in the night crying, although he was such a quiet child that he rarely did unless he was unsettled. Elian was delighted to be in his own room – a 'big boy' room, as he phrased it – and Reyna was somewhat thankful that it was only her youngest son she would have to wake up to during the night.

"He isn't going to wake up, you know."

Reyna sighed as she turned to glance at Tomas, who had entered the room and closed the door quietly behind him. She frowned tersely at him as he crossed the room.

"I thought we discussed knocking."

"You should get some rest." Tomas folded his arms, observing Reyna closely. She looked older than her age, or perhaps it was simply that Gerard's death had made her older prematurely. Nonetheless, her serenity meant she could pass for a woman in her early twenties.

"So should you," Reyna murmured.

Tomas spun her around, gripping her shoulders firmly. Reyna frowned, looking up at him. She did not appreciate being handled in such a manner, even if she and Tomas were quite familiar.

"You need to take more care of yourself."

"Or what?" Reyna replied without any true heat. She was tired, it was true. But things had changed since Gerard had died. She had changed. She was no longer the innocent, playful young girl she had once been. She was a woman now.

"Or I'll take care of you."

The moment Tomas uttered the words he lurched forward, pressing his lips to Reyna's. She tensed against him, too shocked to do anything but stand there. It was so unexpected, something she hadn't seen coming. Tomas took this for acceptance, arms wrapping around her waist and tugging her closer to him. His kiss became more urgent, lips moving from her mouth to trail down her neck. Completely astounded, Reyna shoved him away, tugging out of his grasp.

This was Tomas. Her husband's half-brother. She had thought him to be like family, but obviously he saw her in a completely different light. Reyna wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, letting Tomas know that his kiss was unwelcome. Her green eyes narrowed, as Tomas inspected her with something like amusement. He did not seem to regret the occurrence at all.

"That was utterly inappropriate."

"Don't play coy with me, Reyna." Tomas's tone was impatient now, and he stepped closer to her. Reyna took a step backwards, strongly considering calling her guards. There was a fervent gleam in Tomas's eyes that she did not like at all. "It's been six months since you birthed Luis. You haven't known the touch of a man for nearly a year."

"What of it?" Reyna asked, lifting her chin. What exactly was Tomas trying to insinuate?

"Every woman craves a man in her bed." Tomas folded his arms over his chest, examining her rather lecherously. "You are a beautiful woman, Reyna. You deserve to be happy. I could please you. No one needs to know, I can be discreet…"

"No." Reyna's tone was firm. To be honest, she was disgusted at the thought of Tomas bedding her. He was not an unattractive man, but she saw him more like a brother than a lover. How could she have been so blind to his desire? It frightened her, to know he had been thinking of her with such intensity.

Tomas's expression darkened. "You can play the innocent, Reyna, but you will want me. I can assure you of that."

Without another word, Tomas turned and strode from her room, slamming the door shut behind him. Only once he was gone did Reyna allow her composed mask to slip, gripping the edge of Luis's cot and sucking in a deep breath. She had not expected Tomas to lust after her, and had certainly not expected him to take her rejection as a challenge. Reyna now knew that she had to be careful. She might have trusted Tomas once, but she was not certain she still did now.

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**A/N: Ah, Tomas. I'm worried about my portrayal of him. What do you guys think? Too creepy? Not creepy enough? Let me know in a review! It would be lovely to know what you all thought of this chapter.**


	3. Queen of Scots

**Chapter Three: Queen of Scots**

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** A/N: I am honestly astounded at the amount of reviews, favourites and follows this has gained so far! Thank you all, very much. I'm really hoping you'll enjoy this chapter. Prepare for some Mary! She and Reyna will become good friends over time.**

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Reyna thought it was more nerve-wracking for her to meet Mary, Queen of Scots, than it had been for her to meet the Dauphin. Men with power and authority were all too common. However, women that held power such as Mary did…they were a rare occurrence. The Queen was two years younger than Reyna, yet that did not make their afternoon picnic any less intimidating. Smoothing out her green dress, she crossed over to where the congregation of ladies were already sitting on a multitude of blankets and pillows, giggling away.

"Mary," It was one of the blonde girls who spoke up, the one with brown eyes who looked older than the other. "This is Princess Reyna of Portugal."

As Mary was higher on the rung of royalty, it was customary for Reyna to curtsy, and she did so gracefully. To her surprise, Mary seemed to be the dark-haired girl in red – the very same girl that Reyna had passed by when she had been with Elian the day before. She suppressed her astonishment as Mary rose to her feet.

"Your Majesty." Reyna straightened up. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Mary smiled warmly. "As it is to meet you, Reyna. Please, sit with us."

Reyna took a seat among the girls. The blonde who had spoken regarded her warily, but the others seemed to be quite friendly. Mary introduced them all in turn, made an effort to have Reyna feel included. Reyna could not help but feel pleased to see that the Queen was friendly, and not in the false way that she had seen too often in the Portuguese court.

"You are here with Tomas, are you not?" Greer – the blonde girl who hadn't taken to Reyna as well as the others – questioned. By her gaze, Reyna thought she understood. Greer must be quite taken with Tomas. She wanted to warn the girl away from him, but realised it was something Greer needed to discover herself. She merely nodded.

"Yes. He is my brother-in-law."

Greer seemed to brighten slightly at that revelation, and certainly became more amiable towards Reyna. At first the auburn-haired girl was wary, well aware of the intricacies of court relations, but the girls she found herself with seemed incredibly genuine. Her suspicions faded, and she found herself thoroughly enjoying the picnic and time in the company of other women.

"What brings you to France, Reyna?" Mary asked lightly, passing her a cracker lathered with cheese.

"It was an opportunity to travel," Reyna nibbled at the cracker. "I have two young sons, and I thought it would be nice for them to visit somewhere outside of Portugal."

"Really?" Lola sounded surprised when Reyna mentioned her children. "But you can't be that much older than us."

Reyna felt her cheeks heating up. "I am seventeen."

"How old is your husband?" Greer asked, and Reyna condemned herself to the fact that this would become a common error she would face in the French court – that her husband was still alive. She finished her cracker and clasped her hands in her lap.

"My husband passed away last year."

"Oh." Greer bit her lip, looking sincerely apologetic. "I…I didn't know. I'm sorry if I offended you."

There was a slightly tense silence as Reyna tried and failed not to reminisce on the happiness she had shared with her husband. Not all women could expect a pleasant marriage to a man they would grow to love, but it broke her heart even more because she had loved him. Perhaps it would have been easier for him to let him go if she had not.

"I would love to meet your children," Mary piped up, effectively slicing through the tension like a knife. "What are their names? How old are they?"

Reyna couldn't help but smile. "Elian is three, and Luis is six months old."

There was a cacophony of appreciative noise. It would appear that Mary and her ladies were fond of children. This pleased Reyna, for she had worried that she might seem too mature to them, too serious, too _old_ despite her young years. Mary reached across and took Reyna's hands in hers.

"We must meet them."

"Of course," Reyna stated. She knew that tonight were festivities in honour of she and Tomas, so it would just have to be tomorrow – if she was not too tired. The thought of keeping these girls as friends, perhaps even writing to them when she returned to Portugal, filled her with great warmth. She had few friends of her own age at home, and Mary and her ladies were just so full of colour and life. Perhaps they would be able to coax the sparkle into Reyna's eyes once more.

* * *

"Hush, sweetheart, you must be good for your nurse while I'm away." Reyna tucked an unsettled Luis into his cot. She felt bad for leaving him to attend the feast, but she could not keep using her children as an excuse. Besides, she was rather looking forward to seeing Mary and the other girls again. Reyna stroked her youngest son's hair and kissed the top of his head before she strode into the corridor, touching her hair to ensure that it wasn't coming out of place.

"You look radiant." Tomas was waiting for her in his finery, and Reyna clenched her jaw as she noticed how his eyes raked approvingly over her. Too often, her brother-in-law seemed to forget himself. He offered his arm and she took it with some reluctance. She would have wrenched away entirely if not for the sake of appearances.

Reyna seemed to catch her breath as she entered the hall. It was filled with colour, and people, and noise. She felt overwhelmed and yet invigorated at the same time. Immediately, she began seeking out Mary and her friends – but Mary was engaged in conversation with a man who Reyna knew to be the English ambassador. She stifled her disappointment, realising she would have to wait her turn.

"So you did decide to come tonight."

Reyna spun around to face Bash, who was watching her with an amused expression. She didn't quite know how to respond to his rather teasing comment, but she was saved from doing so by Francis sauntering over to the pair of them. While Reyna liked Bash, she was not yet sure what she thought of the Dauphin.

"Are you being polite to our guest, brother?"

"Of course," Bash drawled, grinning lazily at his half-brother. Reyna glanced between the two, aware that the brothers must have a very light and easy-going relationship. Bash turned his attention back on Reyna, quirking an eyebrow upwards. "Would you care to dance, Princess?"

"I would love to," Reyna stammered, a little taken aback by the sudden request. She took Bash's hand and allowed him to lead her out to where a few others were already dancing. Reyna became aware of Tomas's dark gaze on her, but she forced herself to ignore him as she placed one hand on Bash's shoulder and clasped his hand in hers with the other.

"Your brother-in-law watches us very intently," Bash noted, and it became clear from his tone that he did not think very positively of Tomas. Reyna had to keep from tensing. She truly did not wish to become caught in an awkward situation. "It seems that he is very protective of you."

"Indeed," Reyna murmured, although she knew that it was jealousy that coloured Tomas's gaze. The thought made her shudder, but she attempted to suppress her revulsion, instead focusing on Bash. He was a bastard, but he was an attractive man, perhaps a few years older than herself. He had eyes that seemed to dance in the candlelight.

"Are you well, Princess?" Bash questioned when they drew apart and the song changed to one of a faster tempo. "You appear to be distant. Is something the matter? If it was my bumbling brother's mistake the other day…"

"Of course not," Reyna said quickly, grimacing as she recalled Francis's mistake. It had been rather embarrassing, but not something she would hold against him. Seeking out the blonde Dauphin, she found now that he was speaking with Mary. Of course – Reyna had heard the talk around the court that Francis and Mary were betrothed, yet his parents were in no hurry to have the two of them married. "If you'll excuse me."

Reyna walked over to pour herself a cup of wine, almost jumping out of her skin when she realised that Francis was now leaning against the table watching her. It was a miracle she avoided sloshing wine on her lovely dress. She pressed a hand to her heart, and Francis looked as though he wasn't sure whether to be amused or apologetic.

"My apologies, Reyna. I did not mean to startle you. I merely wanted to ask you how you are finding France."

"I am much liking France," Reyna stated once she got over her initial shock, taking a sip of her wine. "My older son, Elian, is very much appreciating the gardens. I fear I will find him trying to climb a tree."

"An adventurous one." Francis offered her a charming smile. "Your picnic with Mary today? Did that go well?"

"It did," Reyna admitted, realising that Francis was concerned about whether she and his betrothed got on. "She is truly a lovely young woman, I was very grateful to make her acquaintance."

Francis glanced across the hall, towards a group of boisterous young men that Reyna didn't doubt were his friends. She hide a small smile, remembering her husband's own rather loud friends at court. Men seemed to be very much the same. The Dauphin gave her an apologetic glance.

"I must leave you, I fear. Business calls."

Francis swept across the hall towards the group of young men, and Reyna sipped at her wine and glanced around. When her eyes fell upon the Dauphin again, he was laughing and joking with the other young men, slapping one of them good-naturedly on the shoulder. Business, indeed.

* * *

Nostradamus watched the Portuguese princess carefully. She was auburn-haired and slender, with a fair complexion and pretty features. Yet there was something about Reyna that did not quite sit right with him, although it was not the same unease that he got about her brother-in-law, Tomas. Reyna raised her cup of wine to her lips and looked around, and the vision struck Nostradamus with all the force of a hurricane.

_Reyna in a wedding dress of decidedly French design…but who was she marrying? And why was she in France. The girl licked her lips and smoothed her hands down the ivory fabric, looking incredibly nervous._

_Reyna curled up on a vast bed with mahogany posts, her knees curled to her chest. She was sobbing loudly, pale face blotchy and eyes red-rimmed as tears dripped down her cheeks. There was blood on the nightgown she wore, and blood on the sheets._

_Reyna standing over a grave, clutching at what appeared to be the younger of her two sons. He was older, perhaps over a year old. Her eldest son was nowhere in sight, and as Reyna screwed her eyes shut, he had a terrible feeling whose grave she stood over._

"Nostradamus?" Catherine glanced at him with a frown on her face. "What did you see?"

He shook his head, ridding it of images both happy and tragic. Reyna was a mystery, he would certainly give her that. Perhaps less dark a mystery than the brother-in-law who stood brooding in the corner, watching intently as she departed the feast.

"Nothing to do with Francis," Nostradamus assured her, easing her fears. He knew how Catherine worried for the Dauphin, especially when a marriage to Mary could cost Francis his life.

* * *

The corridors echoed with the sounds of music, but the further away Reyna drew from the feast, the quieter they grew – until the only sound left was that of her own footsteps, resonating around her. She raked a hand through her hair. It had been a pleasant night, spending more time with both Francis and Bash, but she had wished to speak more with Mary. Tomas had come to France on the dull business of negotiating French timber exports to Portugal, but Reyna had come to forge new friendships.

Someone suddenly seized Reyna by the arm. Before she could cry out, she was slammed against the wall, fingers digging into her shoulders. Alarmingly, she was rather unsurprised to see it was Tomas who had grabbed a hold of her. She tried to catch her breath and find her voice.

"Tomas, what in God's name are you doing?"

"I do not appreciate your attentions towards several men of the French court," Tomas stated, his grip tightening and making Reyna wince. "In particular the Dauphin and his bastard brother."

"I do not see why it concerns you," Reyna responded icily. Tomas did not control her. In fact, he was her inferior. She was mother to the Crown Prince of Portugal. "Are you not a bastard yourself?"

Tomas's face tightened and he released Reyna's shoulders, only to catch her by the chin, forcing her face up so that her eyes met his. She grimaced, but her brother-in-law was ruthless. What had driven out this side to him? She had never seen it before now, not before he confessed to his desire for her. Was it pure envy, or something else?

"Careful, Reyna."

"Of what, you?" Reyna forced herself not to show fear. If Tomas thought he could intimidate her, he would continue to do so. She had to show him that she was not easily bent to another's will. "Please, Tomas."

"Perhaps we should discuss this matter further in my rooms," Tomas stated, however the ominous gleam in his eyes said that the last thing he wanted to do in his rooms was discuss things. A spark of fear ran through Reyna and she attempted to tug away from him, but he seized a firm hold of her wrist and started dragging her down the corridor.

"Tomas, no!"

"You are but a woman, Reyna," Tomas said loudly over her pleas, "A princess, but a woman nonetheless. You need to learn your place."

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**A/N: Oh no, what's Tomas going to do? Any theories about Nostradamus's visions about Reyna? Please do review!**


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